Chinese Opera

On Saturday we went to a performance of Chinese Opera at Shatin town hall.   I'd booked seats in the 2nd row so we had a very good view.

The show was Stars of Chinese Opera with a selection of six pairs of performers doing famous scenes.  The notes were all in Chinese as were the subtitles displayed on screens to the side of the stage, so we didn't have much idea what was going on, and had to concentrate hard for clues.

Nevertheless I enjoyed it much more than I expected.   The sets, costumes and make-up were lavish, the music was quite accessible and the acting was very expressive.

The singing was accompanied live by a small traditional orchestra to the side of the stage.

It was a very long show but people seemed to drift in and out.  So we skipped one of the acts and refueled with coffee and cake in the theatre cafe.   Afterwards the last act the audience was able to take photos of the performers.  From the applause they seemed to be super-stars.

On the way out we met one of the organizers who was very friendly and asked whether we'd enjoyed the show.   I'd be keen to go again,  although (as with western opera) I'll try to read-up on the plot in advance.

 Program notes.

After the show we went for dinner at 'La Terrazza' restaurant, on top of the Shatin civic center.  We sat outside with a nice view of the river-side park. 

We could enjoy the CNY lights.   Once it became dark and the lights came up, even the tower-blocks began to magical.

On the way home we had a stroll among the illuminations in the park.

CNY Fireworks

The highlight of the 2nd day of Chinese New Year celebrations is the fireworks display.   We booked a harbour dinner-cruise which is by-far the best way to enjoy the fireworks.  (cruise link)

As well as the fireworks, and the terrific views of Hong Kong skyline, we could enjoy a nice buffet dinner.   The food is really quite good.  And the dishes are replenished steadily throughout the cruise.

However many of the guests from across the border don't know this.  So at the start of the cruise there is invariably a massive stampede to the buffet to avoid missing out.   This affords a superb opportunity to observe Chinese buffet skills, which have been honed to a fine-art over 5,000 years of continuous civilization and many famines.

I am just in awe of the techniques.  The key skill is a firm jostling to the front - not aggressively pushy but persistently exploiting any little opening.   I just can't do this myself - unless I push so much that I feel rude, I somehow create too much space around me.  So invariably, I soon find myself at the rear of the crowd, helplessly looking at the backs of people who were previously well behind me.

Another key tactic is to zoom in on the delicacies and load-up plates and plates to take back to your table.  Often the younger men will sally-forth to being back plates of food for the grandparents.    There was one family nearby with six members who soon had about a dozen plates heaped with food in the middle of their table.  Unfortunately I wasn't bold enough to take a photo of them.

This all fits with the common impression that mainland tourists are pushy and rude.  Pushy yes, but I perhaps not 'rude' so much as 'differently mannered'.   They seem to be playing to a different set of rules and assumptions,  from a much more competitive and less-trusting society.   

As far as I can make there are 2 key principles:
1.  Look out for #1.  You must push firmly or you will be left-out.
2.  Non-confrontation.   Be calm and patient.  Push firmly up to some invisible line, but don't cross it and actually be aggressive.

So Chinese crowds are actually quite calm and patient.  You don't see the physical and verbal violence that you sometimes get with Brits or Aussies.

On the other-hand,  systems that rely on everyone cooperating for the common good, like queues, or standing back to let people off-the-train first, tend to break-down when there are a lot of mainland visitors.   Which of course can leave everyone worse-off.  And especially those who stand back and 'play-by-the-rules' (classic 'prisoners dilemma', link).

Back on 'Pearl of the Orient', once the initial rush subsided, we were able to get to the buffet as it was being replenished, and we each had a nice dinner.  Actually several nice dinners.  And desert.   

Then we followed behind the stampede up to the top-deck to get the best spots to watch the firework display.

Naturally we were at the back and so Rika was a bit upset when the families in front of her put their children on their shoulders, and a lady stood-up  on a bench in-front of her,  blocking her view.  She actually complained and was firmly told  'I paid for my ticket'.   Fortunately I'm pretty tall, so I took my usual spot at the back of the scum with Hannah on my shoulders.   It was another nice display.

Video:  CNY fireworks (mainly recorded by Hannah)

After the fireworks there was another stampede to the door to get back downstairs.  And then the disco started.    Because of the tragedy in 2012 (link), all children were required to wear life-jackets through-out the cruise.  Hannah protested because she got too hot.  But we made her follow the rules, even after she pointed-out that most of the other kids had taken-off their jackets.  Luckily there were a couple of other sweaty Japanese children diligently obeying instructions.  And Hannah ended playing happily with them.

We docked back at Hung Hom pier and had a nice long walk around the waterfront with lovely views of Hong Kong as I tried to find the path to Hung Hom MTR.

CNY Night Parade

In the evening we went down to TST to watch the famous night parade.   The CNY night parade has been running for 20 years.   It follows a circuit around the streets of TST watched by a crowd of c. 150,000 spectators (scmp link).

We had booked tickets in the paid seated area, and also got tickets for my old friend AJ and his family who have just relocated to Hong Kong.  Their daughter  M. is the same age as Hannah and they always enjoys playing together.

We even got party-bags from the sponsors with hats, whistles, cookies and water.

The parade was kicked-off by a neat dance routine performed by cabin-crew from Cathay Pacific,  the main sponsors.

Cathay Pacific cabin crew

They were followed by 4 floats and performances by 10 local and 10 foreign performing group

The floats included a cool float from Ocean Park.

Ocean Park Float

The local groups included young dancers of JMWarts and dance (which Hannah once attended) who did a nice routine dressed in yellow outfits with a 'sweets' theme.   Also the HK Chinese Martial Arts and Lion Dance Association who run some of the tai chi competitions I've been to.   I was also impressed by the HK rope-skipping academy, and the acrobatic street-dancers Trickstation.

Dragon Dance

 Video:  CNY Parade

The foreign groups included the Denver Bronco Cheerleaders who did a great routine despite appearing to be performing in their under-wear.   (Perhaps Cathay Pacific had mislaid their costumes).   And the Brass Band of the Moscow Cadet School who performed the theme to 'Austin Powers' of all things.   Also Okinawa drummers and masked dancers from the Philippines.

Massed lion dancers of the Peoples Liberation Army

 Video:  CNY Parade 2

The parade finished with a group of children wearing balloon costumes in the shape of sheep, to celebrate the start of the year of the sheep.

Sheep Balloons

It was a great event.    And I was glad we had seats.  It expect it wouldn't have been so much fun trying to watch the parade from the crush of the main crowd, especially with small children and grandparents.

CNY Che Kung Temple

Thursday was the first day of Chinese New Year.   So we went to Che Kung Temple in nearby Tai Wai to see the start of the  celebrations.

"Che Kung Temple is dedicated to Che Kung a general during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279) in ancient China.  He is believed by some worshipers to have been involved in the attempt to keep the Song state alive by bringing Prince Ping and his brother to the South.   The birthday of Che Kung is 2 January in the Chinese lunar calendar".  (wiki link)

The ancient temple buildings you see here are in the Japanese-style and dates back to 1993.  The original temple nearby is 300 years old (and 1/8 the size).

We had planned arrive early, and was already a lively and good natured crowd of worshipers lighting incense and paying respects.

The really huge crowd arrives on the  2nd and 3rd day of CNY when the festival starts (link).   Apparently this is quite a sight.  I noted very long barriers set-up along the roads leading to the temple to control the anticipated queues.

"Believers who are students, they often write down their name and wishes on a praying paper, and stick it onto a board called Jinbang timing board to pray for better academic achievements. To express their respect to Che Kung, believers may donate to the temple. Divination is also practised in Che Kung Temple as a way of fortune-telling." (link)

"Devotees choose to burn incense sticks. Burning incense sticks is a common phenomenon during the festival, because the process of burning incense sticks and the rising smoke symbolizes the appreciation of the devotees to the blessing and protection from Che Kung of the previous year. Devotees would also tell their living problems to Che Kung and hope that he will fulfill their wish. It is believed that their wishes will be carried up to heaven to Che Kung by the smoke of the incense."

"Pinwheels can always be found next to the effigy of Che Kung, and they are regarded as ‘a wheel of fortune’. It is believed that the one who turns the pinwheel will be granted with prosperity and good luck for the entire year."

Naturally we bought Hannah a pinwheel with charms for her health and success at study.

Discoveryland

On Wednesday we all went for a visit to Discovery Bay North Plaza.

It is an interesting place.  Discovery Bay is a car-free development, so the residents walk, bike, or take a horse and buggy.

Another attraction is a full-size replica of HMS Bounty of 'Mutiny on the Bounty' fame (link), which is often moored at the pier here, although it is sometimes hired-out for corporate events.   It givens me a buzz to see this tiny ship (only 90ft long and 24ft wide) and wonder how it could accommodate a crew of 44 and their provisions, and sail around the world.

 And even more amazing to recall how Captain Bligh survived the mutiny which occurred in the ocean 1,300 miles west of Tahiti:   "eighteen mutineers set Bligh afloat in a small boat with eighteen of the twenty-two crew loyal to him.  In an extraordinary feat of seamanship, Bligh navigated the 23-foot (7 m) open launch on a 47-day voyage to Timor in the Dutch East Indies, equipped with a quadrant and pocket watch and without charts or compass. He recorded the distance as 3,618 nautical miles (6,701 km; 4,164 mi)".

The mutineers turning Bligh and some of the officers and crew adrift from His Majesty's Ship Bounty, 29 April 1789. By Robert Dodd.

But the purpose of our trip was to take Hannah to Discoveryland, Hong Kong's largest indoor playground.

And give her a good bounce

The rest of us mainly sat in the cafe and chatted

While Hannah enjoyed activities like the climbing wall

and more climbing wall.

The Peak

After the Feng Shui tour we took the tram up to the Peak.   This was Granny's #1 request as she had missed out on her last visit, and she wasn't disappointed.

We had an exciting ride up the hillside after the usual hour of queuing.   Made even more memorable by the mainland family just behind us who allowed their young child to urinate on the floor of the ticket hall  and they were loudly told-off by the tramway staff.

Fortunately while we were queing, the weather cleared and we could enjoy magnificent views from he peak across Victoria Harbour to Kowloon.

On the far right of the skyline in the picture below we can clearly see Kowloon Peak where we had started the day.

I'd booked us for dinner at Baba Gump in the Peak Building where we had a memorable dinner on our fist visit to Hong Kong.    As before we secured a window table with views over Hong Kong and could enjoy the view as the sun set and the lights came up.   The restaurants has an interesting cajun menu and nice staff but unfortunately the kitchen can't do the menu justice, and the food was pretty awful (cold soup etc.).